Just Bananas Over Soft Toyshttps://justbananasoversofttoys.wordpress.com
One banana, two bananas, three bananas! More! Four bananas make a bunch and so do many more! Making a Soft Toy is like that. Take it one step or ‘banana’ at a time and you will get a whole ‘bunch’ done!Sat, 17 Feb 2018 22:43:20 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.com/https://s2.wp.com/i/buttonw-com.pngJust Bananas Over Soft Toyshttps://justbananasoversofttoys.wordpress.com
Cut n Sew STARFISH “Free” Sewing Tutorialhttps://justbananasoversofttoys.wordpress.com/2018/02/13/cut-n-sew-starfish-free-sewing-tutorial/
https://justbananasoversofttoys.wordpress.com/2018/02/13/cut-n-sew-starfish-free-sewing-tutorial/#respondTue, 13 Feb 2018 06:12:50 +0000http://justbananasoversofttoys.wordpress.com/?p=1305Continue reading →]]>“Free” Starfish Sewing Tutorial…. Doesn’t everyone love a “Freebie”? Includes: Pattern Pages to Download, a Youtube clip to watch and this Photo Tutorial with Links to all the Cut n Sew designs on Spoonflower.com + Best of all you can use the Starfish Pattern Pieces with scrap fabric for a Bunch More Fun!!!

Small children just love toys that they can ‘clutch’ in their hands…

They love to examine with their eyes, turning the toy over in their hands which is followed by putting it in their mouth to further check the shape, size, texture and taste of the object. Squeals of delight indicate total approval & let you, as Gift Giver, know that you have been successful in your Gift choice! The Starfish that feature in this Sewing Tutorial are sure to be a hit….

It is late Summer as I write this Blog Post so if it is late Winter where you are, just remember it is never too early to think about long hot days at the beach, the feel of sand between your toes & the fun of collecting shells & the occasional starfish! If you don’t like the mess of real ‘sand’ and real ‘starfish’ why not consider a Soft Toy Starfish made using an 8″ x 8″ Swatch of Cut n Sew fabric ordered from Spoonflower.com

Being “Just Bananas Over Soft Toys” is more a state of ‘being’ than a ‘name’ for a hobby/business! I feel like I am “Just Bananas” because I am so passionate & borderline ‘crazy’ (i.e. bananas = crazy) about designing Soft Toys.

Those of you who have purchased one of my Sewing Pattern PDFs will be familiar with my Banana Step Method which includes step by step Photos, Zoom details (close up images) and descriptive Text. If you haven’t seen or purchased one of my PDFs before then this simplified version of the Banana Step Method will give you a bit of an idea what to expect!

Before I show you ‘how’ to make a Starfish I’d better tell you what you will ‘need’ in order to make one….

General Equipment:

Computer, Printer & Paper (e.g. Copy Paper)

Sewing Machine (plus accessories)

Scissors (1 pair for Fabric and a general purpose pair for Paper)

Pins (e.g. Berry/Ball head type)

Sharp Needle for hand sewing

Unpicker/Seam Ripper (in case you have an Oopsy!)

Thin Metal Tube (or a sturdy Drinking Straw) for use as a Turning Tool

Wooden Chopstick (or similar thin, strong, blunt piece of Dowel) for use as a Turning & Stuffing Tool

To make a Starfish you will need the following ingredients(oops I mean) items:

Note: Images & Links to other suitable designs will be shown at the end of this Tutorial. Plus you can use your own fabric scraps!

So there is no slip on a Banana Peel Moment…I think I’d better mention that it is possible to use either a 0.25 inch (1/4″) seam allowance or a 5 mm seam allowance.

The Free Pattern shapes show both Cuttinglines so pick the one you would like to use.

On the fabric the Cuttinglines have been disguised as a ‘hollow’ in the ‘sand’ … watch the Youtube clip for an easy to understand animated demonstration.

Now it is time for the…..

Banana Step Method:

If you haven’t already done so watch this Video clip which demonstrates how the Cuttinglines have been disguised as a ‘hollow’ in the ‘sand’ ….

Let’s hit ‘pause’ here for a while! You may have noticed two objects below the Starfish….’What are they?’ and ‘How do you use them?’ are two questions that come to mind.

The shiny silver object is a thin narrow metal tube and the other object is a piece of wooden dowel or bamboo skewer. They are used as Turning Tools. For more information about how to use these objects to help turn a sewn item right side out watch this “Turn a Toy” Youtube clip.

Only a few more Steps now….

Ladderstitch looks like a ‘Ladder’ before the stitches are pulled tight!

If you are still not sure how to Ladderstitch watch this Ladderstitch clip

Yay! Now your Starfish Clutch Toy is finished! Ready to Gift to a small child’s hand!

Guess What? This is not the only Starfish shape that is available from Spoonflower…. there are more to make using the same Banana Step Method shown above…the only difference will be in the shape or colour of the Starfish!

Note: Even though Orange Starfish are mentioned in the name of the design below it is only possible to make a ONE Red Starfish (printed fabric for the front & back of the Starfish) as the Orange pieces are incomplete and cannot be used. Sorry about that…. if you want an Orange Starfish use the link below the Image that follows this one

There is also another design with another Starfish shape however you would need to order a Fat Quarter to get enough pieces to use the printed design for the front & back of the Toy OR perhaps consider using a plain scrap of fabric for the underside (back) of the Starfish to make even more Starfish = More Fun!

FYI: All these designs were created with Cut n Sew clutch toys in mind (the sand indentation is the seam allowance) plus even though the scale is large these designs are also suitable as yardage. Team them with this design which is intended as a small scale co-ordinate. Image the fun you could have with a beach themed playroom or clothing to wear to the beach! Something to think about as your child happily plays with their new toys!

So… you’d like to make a Carousel Style Hobby Horse using a Spoonflower Cut n Sew Design but the Stick Cover pieces are on a separate piece of fabric & you have no idea how to ‘extract’ the required Strips…right? Well it isn’t as complicated as it you might think! Follow this photo series to learn how…

In the Carousel SeasonsCollection on Spoonflower there are several similar designs in different colourways, available as a Fat Quarter or a Full Yard with enough Strips to make extra Stick Covers for your next project! The same ‘extraction’ process applies to each design, simply choose your preferred colour and Yardage.

If using a Yard of fabric is a bit daunting select the option for a Fat Quarter.

Fat Quarter of Spoonflower CAROUSEL Stick HORSE Strips WARM

Tip: A Fat Quarter of Organic Cotton Sateen CAROUSEL Stick HORSE Strips WARMfabric has been used for the following photo series.

Step 1: Place the purchased fabric on a suitable surface (table) ready for cutting out. You may need to iron it if there are any annoying creases.

Amount of blank fabric around design may vary from that shown

Step 2: Using the chosen Seam Allowance (in this example the Blue ¼”) line as a guide, cut out the chosen Strips (in this example the Yellow ones).

Cut so that the Red and Blue lines are visible

Close up showing Red and Blue lines visible

Note: Here is a closer view that shows the narrow strip of ‘background’ colour between the blue lines. It was originally a dark purple on the ‘Proof’ fabric used for this Tutorial but it was a little hard to cut out as the purple and blue tended to merge or ‘shift’ so the Design file has been updated to include a green background that should be easier to use. Cut out to remove the narrow green strip of ‘background’ fabric.

Left: Proofed Fabric + Right: Revised Design

Step 3: The short ends of the Strips will be joined together then trimmed using the STICK Cover Pattern piece. To avoid possible fraying the edges can be overcast as shown in the next Step…

Step 5: Making sure that the Silhouette Hobby Horse images are facing the correct direction pin the upper Strip on top of the lower Strip.

Pin the upper Strip on top of the lower Strip

Step 6: Stitch the upper Strip to the lower Strip.

Stitch the upper Strip to the lower Strip

Step 7: Place the STICK Cover Pattern piece beside the sewn Strips having the ends even as shown. In order to be able to ‘hide’ the join inside the Hobby Horse the other end of the joined Strips must be the one that is cut off!

The other end of the joined Strips will be cut off

Step 8: Having the ends even pin the STICK Cover Pattern pieceonto the sewn Strips ready for the excess fabric to be cut off!

Pin the Pattern piece onto the sewn Strips

Step 9: Cut the excess fabric off!

Cut off excess fabric

Step 10: Unpin the Stick Cover Pattern piece. Overcast the cut end so the fabric Strip is ready to be used in conjunction with the Step by Step (Banana by Banana) Method shown in the PDF.

Remove Pattern piece and overcast cut end

Note: There are a few things to take into account when sewing the Stick Cover in the usual way, such as the fact that the join adds bulk as well as the decision to open the Seam Allowances out flat or have them fold in one direction. Take a look at the following photos so you can make your own ‘informed’ decision!

Step 11: Pin the Stick Cover so that the join is closest to the open end. This will ensure that the join will be inside the hobby Horse head. Pin so that the Seam Allowance folds away from the open end of the tube.

Note: The photo shows the Seam Allowance open and flat. This is the best way for distributing bulk. However, it can cause a problem when the tube is a very tight fit on the Dowel. The end of the Dowel may catch against the pocket caused by the open Seam Allowance thus halting progress when threading the tube of fabric onto the Dowel.

Join closest to open end (see note about Seam Allowance)

Step 12: Sew the Stick Cover so that the join is closest to the open end. Take care that the Seam Allowance folds away from the open end of the tube unlike the Seam Allowance shown in the photo.

For better results: Seam Allowance should fold away from open end

Watch this “Turn a Toy” Tutorial Video and apply the method shown. A longer Tool may make turning easier as the fabric tube is quite long and may be a bit stiff.

Step 13: Tie off all the threads and turn the Stick Cover right side out through the opening.

Turn the Stick Cover right side out through the opening

Note: Turning the section where the join is might be difficult using the Tools so continue by hand if necessary.

Continue by hand if necessary

Almost completely turned!

Step 14: Thread the Stick Cover onto the Dowel in the usual way. Take care when the join is reached as the fabric tube will be much tighter at the join! It should be obvious before this stage is reached as to whether the tube is too loose. A small amount of potential twist is normal but you should not be able to twist the fabric any more than shown. Ensure that the side seam is straight before following the rest of the Step by Step (Banana by Banana) Method shown in the PDF.

Ensure that the side seam is straight

A Fat Quarter of Organic Cotton Sateen CAROUSEL Stick HORSE WARM Strips fabric was used for this photo series. Two more Stick Covers can be made using the same Method. Use these for your next Hobby Horse Project.

Oopsy! What do you do when your Hobby Horse Bridle does not fit properly? A “wardrobe malfunction” can be embarrassing, can’t it? Help is available!

Learn how to custom fit a Bridle to your “Wish for a Pony” Hobby Horse or Spoonflower Cut n Sew Faux Suede Horse. Understand why size differences can occur depending on the fabric and materials chosen. Make small corrections for a perfectly fitting Bride so your Hobby Horse is ready for play or display!

Watch this Video to see how to have a perfectly fitting Hobby Horse Bridle no matter which fabric or materials you have chosen!

Both Hobby Horses in the Video were created using the same Pattern pieces. The Bay Horse called “Wildfire” was made using Twill fabric purchased from a fabric store. The Pattern shapes supplied in the “Wish for a Pony” Sewing Pattern PDF were printed out as directed and the fabric shapes were carefully cut out. The correct seam allowances were used. The Buckskin Horse was made using the Spoonflower Faux Suede. The design printed on the fabric uses the same Pattern shapes as those supplied with the PDF. The fabric shapes were carefully cut out and the correct seam allowances were used.

Logic says that the Horse heads should be exactly the same. In reality they are not!! This is not Maker error and there is a simple explanation = The Twill fabric stretched more when the Horse head was stuffed than the Faux Suede did.

The Bridle Length Guides supplied with the “Wish for a Pony” Sewing Pattern PDF were designed to create a Bridle to fit the Twill fabric Hobby Horse called “Wildfire”. The PDF shows the construction of the Off-White Bridle. The Black Bridle was made using the same Bridle Length Guides.

Logic says the Off-White Bridle and Black Bridle should be exactly the same. In reality they are not!! This is not Maker error and there is a simple explanation = The Black Cotton Webbing/Herringbone Tape (referred to as Twill Tape in the Video = Oopsy!??) is narrower & softer and stretched more when the Straps were sewn than the Off-White Webbing/Tape did.

In order to have a well-fitting Bridle the Bridle needs to be Custom Fit to the individual Hobby Horse. This may involve checking the finished sewn length of each Strap (after Topstitching has taken place) by comparing it to the Bridle Length Guide supplied with the PDF. This is a good step in the right direction towards a good fit. Even if the Straps are the ‘correct’ length the choice of Ring used may necessitate an adjustment of Strap length. It should be noted that variations may also occur due to differences in the thickness, softness or amount of stretch in individual pieces of Elastic. Keep these points in mind when creating your Bridle and check out this Alternative Bridle Bit Method.

As the Video demonstrated there are many reasons why the Bridle may not fit well. The following photo series illustrates the main points of note from the Video.

D Ring is in wrong position

This would imitate a D Ring Snaffle Bit, however it causes problems!

D Ring will tend to slide in this position!

Recommended D Ring position

Add stitches to keep D Ring in recommended position

Shorten Poll Strap for a better fit

Add extra Hook & Loop Tape

Same width D Rings may vary in depth

Different depth of D Ring makes Strap too long!

Shorten the Strap if using a Round Ring!

So… getting back to that “wardrobe malfunction” the only change that may be needed for your Hobby Horse’s Bridle may be to turn the D Ring to the correct position!

Wrong angle for D Ring + Recommended position!

Turn the D Ring so it looks like this… oh and don’t forget to add some extra stitches to make it stay that way!

D Ring turned to recommended position

FYI: The Bridle Length Guides and Step by Step (Banana by Banana) directions supplied with the “Wish for a Pony” Sewing Pattern PDF are intended to be a starting point for each individual Maker’s creativity. Add a Nose Band and some Bells if you want to like Maker Therese did! Read about and see more of her Hobby Horses here.

Palomino with Bells on Bridle by Maker Therese

Now that you know how to custom fit a Bridle to your “Wish for a Pony” Hobby Horse or Spoonflower Cut n Sew Faux Suede Horse & understand why size differences can occur you will be able to make small corrections for a perfectly fitting Bride. Now your Hobby Horse will be ready for play or display! Yay!

The “Wish for a Pony” Sewing Pattern PDF shows the folded Elastic being sewn entirely by hand. However, there is another Method that combines Machine Zigzag and a small amount of hand sewing.

Before following the Steps below please study this image so you don’t have an Oospy and have to redo the whole thing!

NB The Right & Wrong position for the Elastic ‘Bit’!

Step 1: Thread the ends of the Elastic though the D Rings making sure that the Reins are in the correct position and that nothing is twisted. Pin the ends together.

Thread Elastic through D Rings then pin

Step 2: Stitch the Elastic together ¼ inch/5mm from the cut ends.

Note: Stitching has been highlighted with red for clarity

Use chosen seam allowance

Step 3: Mark the centre of the Elastic with a Pin.

Pin marking centre

Step 4: If possible open out the seam allowances so they lay flat. Match the centre Pin with the seam position and Pin to secure. Add another Pin through both layers of Elastic on one side.

Match centre Pin to seam position

Step 5: Being very conscious of the Needle position in relation to the D Ring, use a Zipper Foot and a Zigzag stitch to sew both layers of Elastic together on one side. Don’t cut the Machine Threads off as they will be put to use in the next step!

Note: Stitching has been highlighted with red for clarity

Zigzag the layers of Elastic together

Step 6: Draw the lower Machine thread to the upper side and thread both onto a hand sewing Needle. Using small stitches join the layers together so the Elastic fits tightly against the metal D Ring.

Make small tight hand stitches

Step 7: Pass the threaded Needle between the layers to the other long side of the Elastic. Repeat the procedure using small stitches to join the layers together so the Elastic fits tightly against the metal D Ring and cut off the excess thread.

Repeat using small tight hand stitches

Step 8: Pin through both layers of Elastic on the other side.

Pin the layers together

Step 9: Being very conscious of the Needle position in relation to the D Ring, use a Zipper Foot and a Zigzag stitch to sew both layers of Elastic together on this side.

Note: Stitching has been highlighted with red for clarity

Zigzag the layers of Elastic together

Step 10: Using the same method as described in Step 6 & 7 hide the end of seam threads & cut off the excess thread.

Hide and remove remaining threads

Personal choice will dictate whether you choose to use this Machine sewn method or use the Hand sewn the Method described in the “Wish for a Pony” Sewing Pattern PDF.

When selecting Twill Tape or alternative supplies to create your Hobby Horse Bridle it should be noted that not all materials behave the same. Some don’t stretch much and others stretch a lot. This can cause fit issues especially when combined with the fact that the Fabric chosen for your Hobby Horse may also stretch more or less width ways and lengthwise.

Watch my Video to…..Learn how to custom fit a Bridle to your “Wish for a Pony” Hobby Horse or Spoonflower Cut n Sew Faux Suede Horse. Understand why size differences can occur depending on the fabric and materials chosen. Make small corrections for a perfectly fitting Bride so your Hobby Horse is ready for play or display!

Thanks a Bunch for Reading & please feel free to add a comment or ask a question!

Maker Therese writes “Some may prefer this method, others may not. I’ve learned a great deal of my crafts and hobbies from others who shared with me. I’m just passing on the tradition. If this helps others to sew this wonderful hobby horse and get more of what is beautiful and creative into the world, I’m all for it… I’ve worked out another time saver for myself that you may like. I have 19 grand-children so far, with the oldest being 15 years old. You can see why I will be making many of these, and why I’m trying to make it easier on my hands…..I think the beauty of your pattern is that it allows for everyone’s individual creativity. I think the most serious problem that I will have, is to stop sewing them. I love all the possible colors, the variety of yarns, and the sheer joy on a child’s face when I give it to them.”

The following photos show how Therese makes the manes for her Hobby Horses.

Making use of Drawer Handles

Making use of Hair Clips

Maker Therese recommends the use of Interfacing as well as Stay Stitching to make sewing easier for stiff fingers! She writes: “When I do the stay stitching, I remain within the stitch line. Also, I think interfacing the fabric is pretty important for me to maintain the integrity of the fabric.”

Stay Stitching is added to the tight corner

Stay Stitching is added to the Muzzle

Some excellent Do and Do Not Advice

Clip carefully to avoid cutting the Stitching

Maker Therese has yet to discover an easier method for stuffing her Hobby Horses and describes her difficulty this way: “The stuffing is still a bit daunting, but I used a larger sized dowel (I broke my first one) and it helps me. So much of this masterpiece depends on properly stuffing so that all of your excellent detail work comes through.”

This Hobby Horse Tutorial How to Stuff a Hobby Horse Video has been created to help those who are like Therese and find the Stuffing process a little tricky! Don’t forget ‘practice makes perfect’….if it doesn’t look right pull some of the stuffing out and try again!

Therese has done a wonderful job with her Hobby Horses as these photos show!!

Palomino with Bells on Bridle

Closeup of Palomino

Notice the alternative method Therese has used instead of Faux Fur eyes! You can read more about here

Nose Band & Bells added to Bridle

“I like the little kiddos to have bells when they prance about.”Therese told me in an email!

I can just imagine the prancing and Bells tinkling!

“…..this is a great fun project and my children all want one or more for their children. That should keep me busy for some time…….Thanks again for making it possible to send a bit of sunshine to some very dear grandchildren.”

Awhhh isn’t that lovely!

A Huge Thanks a Bunch goes to Therese for these very helpful tips and photos!

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]]>https://justbananasoversofttoys.wordpress.com/2017/05/16/arthritis-friendly-hobby-horse-mane-and-more/feed/2justbananasoversofttoysArthritis friendly Hobby Horse Mane and moreArthritis friendly Hobby Horse Mane and moreArthritis friendly Hobby Horse Mane and moreArthritis friendly Hobby Horse Mane and moreArthritis friendly Hobby Horse Mane and moreArthritis friendly Hobby Horse Mane and moreArthritis friendly Hobby Horse Mane and moreArthritis friendly Hobby Horse Mane and moreArthritis friendly Hobby Horse Mane and moreArthritis friendly Hobby Horse Eyes and Nostrils Tutorialhttps://justbananasoversofttoys.wordpress.com/2016/08/04/arthritis-friendly-hobby-horse-eyes-and-nostrils-tutorial/
https://justbananasoversofttoys.wordpress.com/2016/08/04/arthritis-friendly-hobby-horse-eyes-and-nostrils-tutorial/#respondThu, 04 Aug 2016 00:11:42 +0000http://justbananasoversofttoys.wordpress.com/?p=1127Determined not to let Arthritis stop her from making Hobby Horses for her Grandchildren Maker Therese has kindly given permission for her method to be shared on my Just Bananas Over Soft Toys Blog! Having experienced the inconvenience of stiff fingers and Arthritis in my own hands I appreciate the effort Therese has put into creating the following photo series. Those with less nibble fingers may find it helpful to use the tutorial in conjunction with the “Wish for a Pony” Sewing Pattern PDF available on Etsy.

It should be noted that Maker Therese has chosen not to add Faux Fur eyelashes to the eyes of her Hobby Horse.

Trace pattern onto right side of fabric

Position the EYE Rim fabric on the HEAD Side as shown

Place EYE Locator in the cut out section & trace around the inside

Remove EYE Locator & trace around the cut out section of the eye

Repeat process with nostrils. The large piece of inferfaced fabric represents the NOSTRIL Rim

Leaving the Rim fabric pinned in place remove the Pattern piece

Cut out Horse HEAD Side with EYE and NOSTRIL Rim fabric pinned in place

Pin EYE Rim fabric more securely ready for stitching

Stitching the inner drawn shape of the eye using a Zipper Foot

The stitching of the eye shown from the reverse side

The stitching of the nostril seen from the reverse side

Fabric of eye turned through opening

Fabric of nostril turned through opening

Fabric of nostril pinned to another piece of fabric

Fabric of eye pinned to another piece of fabric

Looking at the stitching guide line of the eye

Looking at the stitching guide line of the nostril

The eye and nostril shapes are stitched following the previously drawn lines.

The excess fabric has been trimmed off

The eye and nostril as seen from the right side

That concludes this series of Arthritis friendly Hobby Horse photos….. But wait there is more…….. a Bunch more in fact….

You want to see the completed Hobby Horse(s) right? Well here they are!

FYI: Maker Therese has added a Nose Band and Bells to her Horses Bridles!!

Grey Hobby Horse with Bells on Bridle

Wanting to have eyelashes Maker Therese came up with a clever idea which she explained in an email….

“My last idea is to buy fake eyelashes and glue them onto the eyelids that I get with the eyes…I think they will look great! That’s a bit easier for me than using the eyelash and eyelash locator”

Two more Hobby Horses by Maker Therese

A Huge Thanks a Bunch goes to Therese for these very helpful photos! Yay!

Hope all the not so nimble fingers out there find this helpful….

Maker Therese has even more Arthritis friendly Hobby Horse advice… click here to see more useful Photos and Tips to help you avoid those Slip on a Banana Peel moments!

Do you have a creative space that looks like the site of a huge explosion of the ‘creative’ variety? I know I do & sometimes it is difficult to keep the “Organised Chaos” tidy enough to work in so I keep my eyes ‘peeled’ for ways to make it better! My creative space is realistically called “The CraftyMess Room” though my husband loves to tease me by referring to it by the alternative name of “The Messy Craft Room”.

Is it possible to have an inexpensive “honest working craft room” that looks good or do we all have to aim for the ‘high price tag’ glamorous work spaces perpetuated by the glossy magazines? Is it possible for a creative person who also happens to be “Just Bananas Over Soft Toys” to live, hope, dream and create in such a place without going totally crazy trying to keep it in order?

Messy Craft Room Versus CraftyMess Room

Which will win? Or is this simply a “cover up”?

Living in a remote area you learn to make the most of what you have. When our neighbour (second closest by distance i.e. 4 km away) offered us furniture that failed to sell at a Clearance Auction I was keen to refine the ‘Organised Chaos’ that I refer to as my CraftyMess Room! The TV Cabinet was an obvious choice and was about the same width as the very unstable Card Table that was propped in the messiest corner. I also had big plans for a stacking set of drawers that were made for Audio Cassettes. They would be perfect for small items such as buttons, buckles & assorted but ‘sorted’ useful items.

Naively I thought that the reorganisation would only take a few days & I would have everything ‘spick & span’ by the New Year but alas as always everything I attempt to do takes at least a week longer than expected. If I was going to do this I was going to do it properly which also meant sorting and amalgamating sewing supplies that belonged to my late Mother-in-law (that were no longer wanted by my sister-in-law) with my collection of lace, ribbons, zippers, bias binding, piping, chords, elastic etc.

Things could get messy!

In fact they got so messy & I was so driven to get it all sorted I simply forgot to take many of the ‘sorting in progress’ photos I had planned to take.

FYI: This room remains a work in progress because the Gyprock Plasterboard/Drywall has not been set or painted at this stage and the date for this to be done is on the “To Do this Century List”! Many of the items/furniture & even computer equipment have been loaned to me by family members or were received as a free gift. The new items were purchased on special or came from discount stores.

The Room serves many purposes and has been roughly divided into various ‘zones’ according to use and available space.

Anyone who has ever attempted to reorganise their ‘Creative Space’ will understand that tidying up always creates even more ‘mess’ as the makeover proceeds so it is easy to forget what the room looked like ‘Before’ in order to appreciate what it looks like in the ‘After’ state. Photographs can help to clarify the situation.

In order not to embarrass myself totally I will show the least messy area of the room first of all. Please note here that my Sewing Corner desk is unusually tidy in the ‘Before’ photo due to the fact I was in the process of making sewing videos during the construction of a Spoonflower fabric, Cut n Sew Soft Toy Red Kelpie. The toy dog Pet Portrait of my Granddaughter’s dog “Hunta” can be seen in the lower ‘After’ image.

The Library Zone of the room needed a rethink following my husband’s request that the Current & boxed Back Order issues of the “Small Farmers Journal” have their own shelf space. As I wanted easier access to the Folders and storage cases inside cupboard I relocated them and put the least used Folders in their place.

The Office Space is divided into 2 parts with the Farm Filing Cabinet being under the wardrobe shelf on the opposite wall to the Computer Desk. The Office Space Computer Desk now has the storage cases that contain my ‘scrap paper’ sewing patterns for Prototype toys on the lower shelf as seen in the “After” image. I hope to one day turn them all into Sewing Pattern PDFs. If I live long enough!!

The Gallery Sampler Wall has remained untouched during this latest makeover and as can be seen by the ‘After’ image is in need of a little attention! Oopsy!! The cheap backing of the photo frame peeled off & the frame fell. The frame came apart on opposite corners but the glass thankfully didn’t break. It just needs some glue & time or is that time and glue?

A door less Wardrobe space with hanging rail below a heavy duty shelf has become my Resource Storage. As shown in the “Before’ image under the Wardrobe shelf I had various second hand pieces of furniture….plus mess! This is the area I most wanted to remake!! It was no longer User Friendly! It simply wasn’t working the way it should be & I had to climb on the bed to get at anything & everything including the Light Table!

The “During” photo below shows half of the Folders relocated from the Library cupboard. I needed a strong shelf for the rest of the Folders. I asked my husband if I could use the discarded kitchen bench cut-out from my Sister-in-Law’s kitchen that was gathering dust in the shed. After a cleanup it was positioned, then stacked with Folders! Packaging from Children’s T-Shirts were re-purposed as handy hanging scrap fabric storage for small pieces of fabric & craft materials.

By this stage I thought I was almost finished but a vague comment to my husband about wanting to hang a curtain as a ‘fake door’ for the wardrobe area prompted him to search in the shed for some gifted second-hand curtain tracks he had discovered during a recent tidy up. We pulled the chord drawn one apart to obtain a third section of Track to make a full room width hand drawn Track that could be screwed wrong way around onto the front of the heavy duty wardrobe shelf. Knowing that I was likely to make my new neater area look cluttered by hanging bags of Toy Stuffing on the rod using coat hangers I was very keen to be able to close the Curtains for added neatness when visitors came.

Finally I had a use for fabric that had been purchased way back in 1991. It had originally been set aside for Roman Blinds in a different room in a different house in a former existence. A temporary mess was created by pulling everything out of the box of Curtain making supplies that was recently amalgamated & sorted. I had one long piece of standard heading tape that I cut into 3 for the three curtains which left yet another too short length to add to the large collection of short lengths! I had just enough hooks and plenty of track runners. After sewing the curtains I trained them overnight to ‘set’ the undulating folds using scraps of the curtain fabric.

Being able to perform Backdrop Photography in the room is made possible using a Length of Vinyl supported by the Bed & Pillows of the Guest Bedroom.

The floor area below the northeast facing window is perfect for Overhead Photography using an Exercise Mat & Tripod when not being cluttered by the Farmers Market Equipment. Plus the old ‘dead’ Computer is destined for recycling!

For the time being My CraftyMess Room is much more User Friendly and I am pleased with how the Make Over turned out!

There are still a few minor tasks to be completed such as a new cushion and cover for my Sewing Stool and that Picture Frame to be mended…but that will involve making a ‘mess’ won’t it?

Mess is part of having a Creative Space and I am looking forward to the next creative adventure.

Keep your eyes ‘peeled’….. Perhaps I will have the time to show you some of my repurposing & Storage ideas in a bit more detail!

Thanks a Bunch for reading & please leave a comment if you have any questions or would like to know more about my CraftyMess Room Make Over.

P.S. Are you interested in receiving my “Just a Bunch of Stuff” Newsletter?

Then click this >> Sign Up text as my Free WordPress Blog doesn’t play nice with Mailchimp!!

]]>https://justbananasoversofttoys.wordpress.com/2016/01/14/user-friendly-creative-space-before-and-after/feed/0Resource-Storage-B4-and-AftjustbananasoversofttoysBefore and After view of the Resource Storage area of my CraftyMess RoomBefore and After view of the Sewing Corner of my CraftyMess RoomBefore and After view of the Library Zone of my CraftyMess RoomBefore and After view of the Office Space section of my CraftyMess RoomBefore and After view of the Gallery Sewing & Craft Sampler Wall of my CraftyMess RoomBefore and After view of the Resource Storage Corner of my CraftyMess RoomClose up Before, During and After view of the Wardrobe Space of the Resource Storage area of my CraftyMess RoomCurtains become Wardrobe doors in my CraftyMess RoomWhen not in use as a Guest Bedroom the Double Bed is used as an extra work surface in my CraftyMess RoomThe floor below the window is a shared zone in my CraftyMess RoomThe untidy corner within the Wardrobe space becomes a User Friendly Zone complete with Curtain Wardrobe doors in my CraftyMess RoomThe untidy mess within the Wardrobe space becomes a User Friendly Zone complete with Curtain Wardrobe doors in my CraftyMess RoomDrawstring Holiday Gift Bag – Creating a Prototype Baghttps://justbananasoversofttoys.wordpress.com/2015/11/24/drawstring-holiday-gift-bag-creating-a-prototype-bag/
https://justbananasoversofttoys.wordpress.com/2015/11/24/drawstring-holiday-gift-bag-creating-a-prototype-bag/#respondMon, 23 Nov 2015 22:09:30 +0000http://justbananasoversofttoys.wordpress.com/?p=863Continue reading →]]>Making a Holiday Gift Bag from remnants of fabric can be a fun activity! So is designing a Cut n Sew Drawstring Bag for a Spoonflower Contest. But first I needed to create a Prototype Bag based on my design.

This gift Bag is made up of two rectangular sides with channel style casings for bias style Drawstrings. It also features a box style base. It is the Prototype version of my Holiday Gift Bag that is entered in the Spoonflower Holiday Gift Bag Contest.

If you are interested in designing you own Bag there is a still a little time… here’s the ‘brief’:

Holiday gift bag

Solve the annual holiday quandary of finding the perfect gift bag! Get ahead of the game by designing your own to give to your loved ones! Create a cut and sew design for your ideal holiday gift bag, including original artwork, sewing pattern, instructions– and don’t forget the drawstring! Please note that previews will be sized on a larger fat quarter (27″ x 18″) to accommodate big gifts like holiday wine and spirits! See an example here. Deadline for entry is Tuesday, December 1st, 2015. Voting will open Thursday, December 3rd, 2015.

When designing my Bag my first task was to figure out what sort of Bag I wanted to make then work out how to fit the pieces onto a Fat Quarter of 27″ x 18″ fabric.

Note: The Prototype Bag measurements are based on the Cut n Sew design I created for the Spoonflower Holiday Gift Bag Contest and can be altered to suit your needs. My design needed to fit on a Quarter Yard of Organic Cotton Sateen Ultra (Fat Quarter 28 x 18 Inch/ 71.12 x 45.72 cm)

The exact measurements I used are:

Bag panel piece 33.89 x 31.1 cm OR 13.3425” x 12.23441”

Drawstring 68.08 x 3.27 cm OR 26.8031” x 1.2874”

Casing 33.89 x 3.27 cm OR 13.3425” x 1.2874”

My completed Holiday Gift Bag design can be seen by clicking this Link

To create a box style base Pin to match the Bag base seam with the corresponding side seam.

Sew across the bottom of both triangular points thus giving the bag a box style base.

Turn the Bag Right Side out.

Fold & press the allowance (short then long sides) to the Wrong Side of each Drawstring. Fold lengthways matching the edges.

Stitch close to all the folds.

Attach a Safety Pin or Bodkin to a Drawstring end and tread it through a Casing.

Repeat for other Drawstring. Tie the corresponding Drawstring ends together in a knot to prevent them being pulled out. Pull to close Bag.

The result is a quick easy sewing project.

Why not check out my entry into the Holiday Gift Bag Contest & when the Contest is Live (Voting will open Thursday, December 3rd, 2015) cast a Vote for your favourite designs. Don’t forget to add a heart too!

BTW my Nativity Silhouette design is available for purchase right now!

]]>https://justbananasoversofttoys.wordpress.com/2015/11/24/drawstring-holiday-gift-bag-creating-a-prototype-bag/feed/0Drawstring Bag PrototypejustbananasoversofttoysMaking a Holiday Gift Bag from remnants of fabric can be a fun activity! So is designing a Cut n Sew Drawstring Bag for a Spoonflower Contest. But first I needed to create a Prototype Bag based on my design.For both Bag panel pieces use Pinking Shears or Zigzag stitch to prevent fraying - Drawstring Holiday Gift Bag Blog Post justbananasoversofttoys.wordpress.comFold & press the allowance of the short sides followed by the long sides of each Casing to the Wrong Side - Drawstring Holiday Gift Bag Blog Post justbananasoversofttoys.wordpress.comPosition & Pin a Casing on each Bag panel piece - Drawstring Holiday Gift Bag Blog Post justbananasoversofttoys.wordpress.comStitch the Casing in place by sewing close to each long side fold leaving the short sides unstitched & open as a channel for the drawstring - Drawstring Holiday Gift Bag Blog Post justbananasoversofttoys.wordpress.comClose up of: Stitch the Casing in place by sewing close to each long side fold leaving the short sides unstitched & open as a channel for the drawstring - Drawstring Holiday Gift Bag Blog Post justbananasoversofttoys.wordpress.comRight Sides facing pin the Bag panel pieces together leaving the top open - Drawstring Holiday Gift Bag Blog Post justbananasoversofttoys.wordpress.comStitch ¼ inch/5 mm from edges. (NB if haven’t already done so - Use Pinking Shears or Zigzag stitch to prevent fraying) - Drawstring Holiday Gift Bag Blog Post justbananasoversofttoys.wordpress.comFold ¼”/5 mm, then ½”/1 cm to the inside - Drawstring Holiday Gift Bag Blog Post justbananasoversofttoys.wordpress.comStitch close to folded edge to Hem the Bag opening - Drawstring Holiday Gift Bag Blog Post justbananasoversofttoys.wordpress.comTo create a box style base Pin to match the Bag base seam with the corresponding side seam - Drawstring Holiday Gift Bag Blog Post justbananasoversofttoys.wordpress.comSew across the bottom of both triangular points thus giving the bag a box style base - Drawstring Holiday Gift Bag Blog Post justbananasoversofttoys.wordpress.comFold & press the allowance (short then long sides) to the Wrong Side of each Drawstring. Fold lengthways matching the edges - Drawstring Holiday Gift Bag Blog Post justbananasoversofttoys.wordpress.comStitch close to all the folds - Drawstring Holiday Gift Bag Blog Post justbananasoversofttoys.wordpress.comAttach a Safety Pin or Bodkin to a Drawstring end and tread it through a Casing - Drawstring Holiday Gift Bag Blog Post justbananasoversofttoys.wordpress.comClose up of: Attach a Safety Pin or Bodkin to a Drawstring end and tread it through a Casing - Drawstring Holiday Gift Bag Blog Post justbananasoversofttoys.wordpress.comCompleted Drawstring Holiday Gift Bag Blog Post justbananasoversofttoys.wordpress.comReynolds Freezer Paper Demonstration in 7 Stepshttps://justbananasoversofttoys.wordpress.com/2015/10/20/reynolds-freezer-paper-demonstration-in-7-steps/
https://justbananasoversofttoys.wordpress.com/2015/10/20/reynolds-freezer-paper-demonstration-in-7-steps/#commentsMon, 19 Oct 2015 23:56:23 +0000http://justbananasoversofttoys.wordpress.com/?p=833

Reynolds Freezer Paper has a shiny plastic coating on one side that adheres temporarily to fabric when ironed and once removed it can be reattached several times before losing its gripping ability. This interesting feature makes it extremely useful when making Soft Toys.

According the directions & suggestions on the box Reynolds Freezer Paper has many craft related uses.

Great for Crafting:* Protect work surfaces; paints, marker and glue won’t soak through* Pour paint or pudding on plastic side for ideal finger painting* Use as a paint palette or to practice decorative painting* Cover Schoolbooks; personalize with stickers or drawings* Make non slip stencils. Temporarily adhere the plastic side to fabric with a hot, dry iron. Peel off stencil when paint dries

According the directions & suggestions on the box Reynolds Freezer Paper has many sewing related uses including the creation of non slip stencils and templates for quilting, piecing & appliqué.

Easy Quilt AppliquésCreate templates to reduce time in quilting, piecing or appliquéing. Here’s how:1. Draw design on paper side of Freezer Paper; cut out2. Pin paper side of design to fabric.3. Cut out fabric pieces with 3/16th extra fabric allowance around the design. Cut 1/8” slits on curved edges to ease fabric. Press seam allowance over edge of template. Remove pins.4. Lightly adhere fabric pieces to material by pressing in place with hot, dry iron. Stitch fabric pieces to background material, leaving a small area unstitched.5. Pull out Freezer Paper through unstitched area; stitch closed.

Although I am not planning on doing any Appliqué work I am planning to use the Freezer Paper to create Pattern Pieces that won’t move as the fabric is cut out.

Many Toy Making fabrics are either a cotton/synthetic blend or totally synthetic in composition. Some of my favourite Soft Toy making fabrics include Faux Suede & Faux Fur therefore logic says that a “hot, dry iron” might be a problem. I don’t want to melt the Faux Fur!

Some caution is needed.

As a part of a Video series called Faux Fur Know How specifically Faux Fur Know How Part 2 Mark or position Pattern pieces on Fur Fabrics several suggestions/recommendations are made & are summarised below

* Test with a scrap piece of Fur Fabric first
* You only need to lightly adhere the Freezer Paper so use a dry iron set on low or medium heat rather than hot
* or heat then turn the iron off just before use
* Place the Freezer Paper on the wrong side (backing) of the fabric then lay a Linen or Cotton Handkerchief on top
* Adhere briefly. Be careful not to melt the synthetic fabric!

But first an admission! The images in the earlier Post were from my second attempt at printing pages…in my enthusiasm to test the Reynolds Freezer Paper I forgot to take Step by Step photos of how I worked out which way up the paper needed to be. On that occasion I used a different Printer (one with a tray for the paper) so seeing as everything was fairly hidden the photos wouldn’t have been as interesting anyway.

The images I will use this time are the successful result of my first attempt at printing on Reynolds Freezer Paper.

1. Print out the pieces

Print the required pages onto the non shiny/matt side of the Reynolds Freezer Paper. Refer to the previously mentioned Blog Post here if you are not sure how to do this.

Notice that the Freezer paper is thinner as shown by comparing the pages side by side.

2. Cut out the pieces

Using a pair of Craft Scissors (Scissors for paper rather than fabric) cut out the shapes. The scissors may be used in combination with a retractable blade Craft Knife plus Metal Ruler and Self Healing Cutting Mat to maintain straight lines where needed.

3) Adhere each Pattern piece lightly to the fabric

Use an appropriate amount of heat to lightly adhere the Freezer paper to the chosen fabric.

Calico (AUS) or Muslin (USA) is used in this example

Faux Suede (aka Chamois Fabric) with a handkerchief used to prevent over heating

Faux Fur with Freezer Paper attached

4) Cut out the shape close to the Reynolds Freezer Paper shape

Using sharp (for fabric only) Scissors cut out the shape close to the Reynolds Freezer Paper shape.

If your chosen fabric is Faux Fur care needs to be taken so that only the ‘backing’ of the Faux Fur is cut & not the fur pile itself. Special Scissor skills are needed and are demonstrated in this clip Faux Fur Know How Part 3 Scissor skills for Fur Fabric which is a part of the Faux Fur Know How series.

5) Transfer any Guidelines or Marks to the fabric

Transfer all necessary information from the Pattern shape e.g. Topstitching guidelines; Position markers (e.g. for nose or eye placements) etc to the fabric using an appropriate marker such as the Water Erasable one shown.

6) Peel to remove the Freezer Paper

Gently lift the corner of the Freezer Paper away from the fabric & peel to remove entirely.

7) Store Pattern pieces safely for reuse

Store the reusable Freezer Paper Pattern shapes in a safe place in anticipation of using it/them for the next Project. A Zip Lock Bag is handy for Pattern Piece storage.

In summary here’s a quick list of the Steps:
1) Print out the required pages onto the non shiny/matt side of the Reynolds Freezer Paper
2) Cut out the paper Pattern pieces
3) Adhere each Pattern piece lightly to the fabric
4) Cut out the shape close to the Reynolds Freezer Paper shape.
5) Transfer any Guidelines or Marks to the fabric
6) Peel to remove the Freezer Paper
7) Store Pattern pieces safely for reuse

Residents of the USA can readily source Reynolds Freezer Paper at a Grocery Store or Supermarket. Reynolds Freezer Paper is occasionally available in Australia at Spotlight (large Australian Chain of Fabric Stores similar to the USA based Joanns). However the cost can be quite high compared to what those overseas would pay to buy a product that was primarily designed to preserve the freshness of food placed in the Freezer.

It is possible to order Reynolds Freezer Paper online directly from the Reynolds website

Being Australian I knew I would need to decide the best way for me to obtain some Freezer Paper but as it turned out I didn’t need to purchase it Online or through Spotlight!

When I discovered that a member of one of my favourite Facebook sewing groups was planning a trip back to the USA to see family I asked her if she would purchase a roll for me while on Holiday/Vacation. She agreed and when she returned she mailed the precious roll to me. A huge “Thanks a Bunch” goes to Allison Dey of SweaterDoll

As I mentioned in the previous Post I am no expert on the ‘use’ of Reynolds Freezer Paper. I learn by doing and am happy to pass on what I have discovered in the hope that it saves someone else some time & helps achieve success quicker. If you have any other useful tips and information please feel free to add a Comment.

Thanks a bunch & keep your eyes peeled for more Posts

]]>https://justbananasoversofttoys.wordpress.com/2015/10/20/reynolds-freezer-paper-demonstration-in-7-steps/feed/1Cut out Pattern shape while the Freezer Paper stays in placejustbananasoversofttoysReynolds Freezer Paper has a shiny plastic coating on one side that adheres temporarily to fabric when ironed and once removed it can be reattached several times before losing its gripping ability. This interesting feature makes it extremely useful when making Soft Toys. Photo from Reynolds Freezer Paper Demonstration in 7 Steps Blog PostReynolds Freezer Paper showing roll, non shiny/matt side plus shiny side. Photo from Reynolds Freezer Paper Demonstration in 7 Steps Blog PostAccording the directions & suggestions on the box Reynolds Freezer Paper has many craft related uses. Photo fom Reynolds Freezer Paper Demonstration in 7 Steps Blog PostAccording the directions & suggestions on the box Reynolds Freezer Paper has many sewing related uses including the creation of non slip stencils and templates for quilting, piecing & appliqué. Photo from Reynolds Freezer Paper Demonstration in 7 Steps Blog PostFaux Suede (aka Chamois Fabric) is shown in this example. Photo from Reynolds Freezer Paper Demonstration in 7 Steps Blog PostNotice that the Freezer paper is thinner as shown by comparing the pages side by side. Photo from Reynolds Freezer Paper Demonstration in 7 Steps Blog Post Notice that the Freezer paper is thinner as shown by comparing the pages side by side. Photo from Reynolds Freezer Paper Demonstration in 7 Steps Blog PostUsing a pair of Craft Scissors (Scissors for paper rather than fabric) cut out the shapes. The scissors may be used in combination with a retractable blade Craft Knife plus Metal Ruler and Self Healing Cutting Mat to maintain straight lines where needed. Photo from Reynolds Freezer Paper Demonstration in 7 Steps Blog PostUse an appropriate amount of heat to lightly adhere the Freezer paper to the chosen fabric. Photo from Reynolds Freezer Paper Demonstration in 7 Steps Blog PostFaux Suede (aka Chamois Fabric) with a handkerchief used to prevent over heating. Photo from Reynolds Freezer Paper Demonstration in 7 Steps Blog Post Faux Fur with Freezer Paper attached. Photo from Reynolds Freezer Paper Demonstration in 7 Steps Blog PostUsing sharp (for fabric only) Scissors cut out the shape close to the Reynolds Freezer Paper shape. Photo from Reynolds Freezer Paper Demonstration in 7 Steps Blog PostTransfer all necessary information from the Pattern shape e.g. Topstitching guidelines; Position markers (e.g. for nose or eye placements) etc to the fabric using an appropriate marker such as the Water Erasable one shown. Photo from Reynolds Freezer Paper Demonstration in 7 Steps Blog Post Gently lift the corner of the Freezer Paper away from the fabric & peel to remove entirely. Photo from Reynolds Freezer Paper Demonstration in 7 Steps Blog PostStore the reusable Freezer Paper Pattern shapes in a safe place in anticipation of using it/them for the next Project. A Zip Lock Bag is handy for Pattern Piece storage. Photo from Reynolds Freezer Paper Demonstration in 7 Steps Blog Post Reynolds Freezer Paper Home Printer Experiment in 7 Stepshttps://justbananasoversofttoys.wordpress.com/2015/10/09/reynolds-freezer-paper-home-printer-experiment-in-7-steps/
https://justbananasoversofttoys.wordpress.com/2015/10/09/reynolds-freezer-paper-home-printer-experiment-in-7-steps/#commentsThu, 08 Oct 2015 23:53:51 +0000http://justbananasoversofttoys.wordpress.com/?p=804

Reynolds Freezer Paper has a shiny plastic coating on one side that adheres temporarily to fabric when ironed and once removed it can be reattached several times before losing its gripping ability. Having discovered (via several discussions in Facebook groups) the existence of such a potentially useful product I was very keen to try it for myself.

Being Australian meant that I was not able to readily source the Reynolds Freezer Paper at a Grocery Store or Supermarket like people in the USA were able to. After reading Group discussions I learned that it was occasionally possible to locate it at Spotlight (large Australian Chain of Fabric Stores similar to the USA based Joanns). However the cost was quite high compared to what those overseas would pay to buy a product that was primarily designed to preserve the freshness of food placed in the Freezer.

As it turned out I didn’t need to purchase it via any of these methods!

When I discovered that a member of one of my favourite Facebook sewing groups was planning a trip back to the USA to see family I asked her if she would purchase a roll for me while on Holiday/Vacation. She agreed and when she returned she mailed the precious roll to me. A huge “Thanks a Bunch” goes to Allison Dey of SweaterDoll

Yipee now I had my very own roll of this amazing product.

BTW I am no expert on the ‘use’ of Reynolds Freezer Paper. I learn by doing and am happy to pass on what I have discovered in the hope that it saves someone else some time & helps achieve success quicker.

Soooo what did I learn?

According the directions & suggestions on the box Reynolds Freezer Paper has many craft & sewing related uses including the creation of non slip stencils and templates for quilting, piecing & Appliqué.

I had read Online that it was possible make use of a regular Home Printer (see warning note regarding Laser Printers) to print pattern shape/templates directly onto the Freezer Paper. This idea appealed to me for several reasons including neatness, accuracy and the time saved by being able to print straight from a PDF Sewing Pattern directly onto the Freezer Paper rather than printing onto Regular Copy Paper then labouriously hand tracing onto the Freezer Paper!

Note: Taking into account that that heat from an iron is used to lightly adhere Reynolds (R) Freezer Paper to fabric plus the fact that Laser Printers use heat as a part of the printing process, the logical conclusion is that there could be dire consequences for the inner workings of a Laser Printer if it is used to print on Freezer Paper! Therefore Laser Printers are not recommended. Use an Inkjet Printer instead.

Printing directly onto the paper sounds quick & easy however a little preparation and planning is required. Because the paper comes on a roll it needs to be cut to size. I prefer to use A4 size but it is just as easy to cut out US Letter sized paper. Next the paper needs to be flattened (e.g. under a heavy book) to discourage it from rolling or curling. Some patient waiting would be required before I attempted to test my cut pages through a Home Inkjet Printer.

Because Freezer paper is matt on one side, shiny on the other & much thinner than Regular Copy Paper consideration needs to be given to the way that the paper will be fed into the Printer.

The Printers I am familiar with have had either a:
* Front and Rear paper feeding system (rear feed is for thick card or photo paper)
* Front feed only via a slide in tray or
* Front feed paper stack (no tray)

I suspect the Rear feed is probably the easiest to use (although I have not tried this option seeing as that printer “died” years ago). I have used the Front feed tray type variety (printed page photos will be shown in the next Post) plus the 3rd variety that has no tray.

No matter which type of ‘feed’ is used there may still be issues with potential curling of the paper to overcome. The paper may skew or not feed in straight, corners may curl, fold & crush and smudges may occur. Plus when printing a single page that is above a Regular Copy Paper page the page (Regular Copy Paper) below may start to feed in first followed part way by the Freezer Paper sheet meaning that only a portion of the required image is printed on the Freezer Paper! It is even possible to accidentally print on the wrong side of the Freezer paper!

Even though the use of Reynolds Freezer Paper appears to be problematic there are ways to avoid most of the Printing mistakes mentioned above.

To ensure best result it is essential to determine which way up the paper should face (non shiny/matt or shiny) when loaded into the Printer. Remember you need to print on the non shiny/matt side.

Using a sheet of Regular Copy Paper I wrote “This side up” on the lower portion of the page and placed it in the Printer (no tray variety) as shown.

Because I wanted to experiment with turning PDF Layers off & on as well as take photos for this Tutorial about the use of Freezer Paper I chose to print a page from a PDF containing a Starfish design I had been working on.

Note: You can choose to test print a page from any file you like, it can contain as much or as little Content as you wish.

Out came the page printed on Regular Copy Paper…..

But which side is the pencil writing on? Can you guess?

The pencil writing is on one side & the printed image on the other!

Hmmm….there was no writing in pencil on the side that had the printed image! The writing was on the other side of the page!

This means that for ‘this’ Printer in order to have the image printed on the non shiny/matt side I would need to have the shiny side facing up!! That might be a problem because I had noticed that even though the paper has been flattened there was a continuing tendency for it to curl when placed shiny side up.

I also needed to deal with the fact that Freezer Paper is much thinner than Regular Copy Paper. I anticipated that it would not feed properly into the Printer so I decided to tape the Freezer paper to a sheet of Regular Copy Paper to force it to stay flat & give it more stiffness.

Notice how the Freezer Paper (left hand page) tends to curl

Tape the short sides together

After taping the short sides together I used the sticky tape like a hinge to fold the pages so that the shiny side of the Freezer Paper plus the sticky tape was on the inside.

Folded using Tape as a Hinge

Because I was still a little concerned about whether the paper would skew I added a small piece of tape on the inside to join the pages at one of the corners. I could have added tape to the other corner too but decided to see what would happen if I didn’t!

Lower page corners joined using a small piece of tape on the inside

So now I had two pages joined together. I needed to print on the non shiny/matt side of the Freezer Paper so it needed to be facing downwards which meant that the Regular Copy Paper was facing up. I positioned the hinged pages on top of the stack of pages on the Printer with the hinge furthest away from me.

Ready to print…..

But before I started printing I ‘played’ with the visibility of the PDF Layers. To save ink I turned off the blue 0.25 inch Cutting Line, the dashed Stitching Line and the Title information. I left the 5 mm Cutting Line and the Test squares on.

Note: The PDF has to be created with useful Layers as the top Layers in order to be able to make use of this function. Many Indie Clothing designers will set up their PDFs so that the unneeded Clothing sizes can be turned off prior to printing. I am experimenting with this idea to see if it is suitable and useful for inclusion in my Sewing Pattern PDFs.

Success! Other than a tiny smudge at the top it is a nicely printed page!

Just for interest sake here is a comparison of the Regular Copy Paper page that has all the Layers visible and the Reynolds Freezer Paper that has some Layers turned off.

Can you see the slight smudge?

So now it is just a matter of cutting through the sticky tape to separate the pages.

Tip: Any scrap Regular Copy Paper could have been used at the extra page I just used a blank one so as not to confuse things!

So far so good ….As I said earlier I am not an expert in the use of Reynolds Freezer Paper and as Printers vary results may also vary. If you are using a Printer that has a tray it may be possible to ‘cheat’ as I did (on a previous occasion before I thought of doing a photo documentation of the experiment) by placing a Regular Copy Paper page on top of the correct side up Reynolds Freezer Paper page in the tray & just select Print 2 copies. Because it all happened so quickly the Reynolds Freezer Paper didn’t have time to curl & it printed out perfectly. It should be noted that this is only a good method if you want a second copy or can print another page from the same file at the same time!

In summary here’s a quick list of the Steps:

1) Cut Freezer Paper to ‘size’ (e.g. A4 or US Letter )
2) Flatten Freezer Paper pages under heavy books (for a least a few days)
3) Test Print (Regular Copy Paper) to determine which way up the Freezer Paper needs to be
4) Stabilise the Freezer Paper by adding a Regular Copy Paper page to prevent curling
5) Position the page(s) correct side up in the Printer
6) Print out a page
7) Remove the Regular Copy Paper stabiliser

]]>https://justbananasoversofttoys.wordpress.com/2015/10/09/reynolds-freezer-paper-home-printer-experiment-in-7-steps/feed/4Reynolds Freezer PaperjustbananasoversofttoysReynolds Freezer Paper showing roll, non shiny/matt side plus shiny side photo from Reynolds Freezer Paper Home Printer Experiment in 7 Steps Blog PostBecause Freezer paper is matt on one side, shiny on the other & much thinner than Regular Copy Paper consideration needs to be given to the way that the paper will be fed into the Printer photo from Reynolds Freezer Paper Home Printer Experiment in 7 Steps Blog PostTo ensure best result it is essential to determine which way up the paper should face (non shiny/matt or shiny) when loaded into the Printer. Remember you need to print on the non shiny/matt side. Photo from Reynolds Freezer Paper Home Printer Experiment in 7 Steps Blog PostTo ensure best result it is essential to determine which way up the paper should face (non shiny/matt or shiny) when loaded into the Printer. Remember you need to print on the non shiny/matt side. Photo from Reynolds Freezer Paper Home Printer Experiment in 7 Steps Blog PostUsing a sheet of Regular Copy Paper I wrote “This side up” on the lower portion of the page and placed it in the Printer (no tray variety) as shown. Photo fom Reynolds Freezer Paper Home Printer Experiment in 7 Steps Blog PostOut came the page printed on Regular Copy Paper..... Photo from Reynolds Freezer Paper Home Printer Experiment in 7 Steps Blog Postthere was no writing in pencil on the side that had the printed image! The writing was on the other side of the page! Photo from Reynolds Freezer Paper Home Printer Experiment in 7 Steps Blog PostNotice how the Freezer Paper (left hand page) tends to curl. Photo from Reynolds Freezer Paper Home Printer Experiment in 7 Steps Blog PostTape the short sides together. Photo from Reynolds Freezer Paper Home Printer Experiment in 7 Steps Blog PostFolded using Tape as a Hinge. Photo from Reynolds Freezer Paper Home Printer Experiment in 7 Steps Blog PostLower page corners joined using a small piece of tape on the inside. Photos from Reynolds Freezer Paper Home Printer Experiment in 7 Steps Blog PostReady to print with correct side up. Photo from Reynolds Freezer Paper Home Printer Experiment in 7 Steps Blog PostReady to print..... Photo from Reynolds Freezer Paper Home Printer Experiment in 7 Steps Blog PostSuccess! Other than a tiny smudge at the top it is a nicely printed page! Photo from Reynolds Freezer Paper Home Printer Experiment in 7 Steps Blog PostJust for interest sake here is a comparison of the Regular Copy Paper page that has all the Layers visible and the Reynolds Freezer Paper that has some Layers turned off. Reynolds Freezer Paper Home Printer Experiment in 7 Steps Blog PostSo now it is just a matter of cutting through the sticky tape to separate the pages. Reynolds Freezer Paper Home Printer Experiment in 7 Steps Blog Post